Sewing machine lighting device



Jan. 12, 1937. R. E. VOM LEHN SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Reinhold E Uomlefin Jan. 12, 1937. R. E. VOM LEHN SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I; SMN'MOT/ Reinhold E Uomlehn as Wzcz zkv GUM;

Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE LIGHTING DEVICE Application May 9, 1935, Serial No. 20,573.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machine lighting devices and has for an object to provide a lighting device of simplified and improved construction which may be readily mounted upon sewing machines of various well known types and which is quickly and conveniently shiftable and adjustable to meet the requirements of the operator.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages at- "tained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine equipped with a lighting device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the supporting means for the lighting attachment. Fig. 3 "is a section through the lamp-socket supporting connections at the free end of the main arm of the attachment. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the twin clamping members at the upper end of the ball-ended link shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the twin clamping members at the lower end of the ball-ended link of Fig. 3, and Figs. '7, 8, 9; and 10 are perspective views of a sewing machine with the lighting attachment adjusted to various positions about the needle and presse'r-foot.

The invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine having a bed I from which risesthe standard 2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 3 terminating in the head 4 which supports'the usual reciprocatory needle-bar B and presser-bar 6 carrying, respectively, the needle 1 and presserfoot 6. Below the bed are mounted the usual loop-taker 9 and feeding mechanism (not shown) The presser-bar may be lifted for removal or insertion of work from or under the presser-foot 8 by'means of the conventional hand-operated presser-lifter Ill or by means of the treadle-controlled presser-lifter leverJ l which is fulcrumed on a presser-lifter stud-screw carried by the bracket-arm 3.

In applying the invention to a sewing machine of the particular type illustrated, the conventional presser-lifter stud-screw of the machine may conveniently be replaced by a special studsorew l2 from the head [3 of which projects a short pin 14 on which is swivelled one arm I5 of a right-angle bracket l5, I6. A dished spring washer l1 seated against the screw-head I3 and bearing frictionally upon the arm 15 holds the latter snugly in contact with the washer I8 held tightly against the shoulder I9 on the pin l4 by the nut 26.

Passing freely through an aperture in the arm 16 of the angle-bracket l5, l6 and through an aperture in the arm 2| of a second angle bracket 2|, 22, is a shouldered stud-screw 23 under the head of which is disposed the dished spring friction washer 24. The nut 25 holds the stud-screw 23 tightly seated against the angle-bracket-arm 2|.

The angle-bracket-arm 22 has a semi-cylindrically bent terminal portion constituting one jaw 26 of a clamp, the other similarly bent jaw 21 of which is formed at the upper end of a clamp-plate 28 having at its lower end an in wardly bent fulcrum portion 29 bearing upon the d arm 22. A bolt 36 and wing-nut 3| serve to tighten or loosen the clamping jaws 26, 21 upon the tubular main supporting arm 32 of the lighting fixture, which arm 32 is rotatably and endwise slidably adjustable in the clamp 26, 21. The friction swivel joints about the right-angularly related stud-screws l4 and 23 constitute collectively a universal joint connection between the tubular arm 32 and the sewing machine frame and enable the arm 32 to be shifted into any desired angular relationship with the sewing machine bracket-arm 3. Further, the longitudinal axis of the arm 32 is spaced sufliciently from the axis of the supporting stud-screw 12 to enable the arm 32 to be so positioned as to cross either over or under the sewing machine bracket-arm 3, if desired, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10, respectively.

Secured to the tubular arm 32, preferably at the free end of the latter, is a two-part clamp, the similar sections 33 of which are each formed at one end with a cylindrically bent jaw 34 to grip the tubular arm 32 and a spherically cupped or socketed jaw 35 to grip one ball-shaped end 36 of a link or rod 31 the other ball-shaped end 38 of which is gripped by the spherically socketed jaws 39 of a two-part clamp, the similar sections 40 of which are each formed at the end remote from the spherically socketed jaw 39 with a cylindrically bent jaw 4| to grip the cylindrical portion 42 of the lamp-socket 43. The respective clamps 33 and 40 are held in gripping engagement with the parts by means of bolts 44 and nuts 44.

A suitable reflector 45 having a tubular neck 46 slit longitudinally at 41 is also preferably embraced by the clamp 40 and held tightly upon the cylindrical portion 42 of the lamp-socket which may carry the electric lamp 48. Light is projected from the reflector 45 in a direction lengthwise of the longitudinal axis of the lamp-socket 43.

The electric conductor cord 49 is preferably passed through the tubular arm 32 and externally of the rod 31 to the lamp-socket 43.

The main supporting arm 32 is preferably made relatively long or comparable with the length of the overhanging bracket-arm 3 of the conventional sewing machine, while the link 31 is preferably made relatively short or of a length comparable with the face width of the bracket-arm-head 4. Further, the spacing between the longitudinal axes of the stud l4 and tubular arm 32 is preferably comparable with the length of the relatively short link 31. These features facilitate the positioning of the lamp at any desired point relative to the sewing machine frame head 4. The present fixture may be mounted at a convenient point on the sewing machine bracket-arm and quickly adjusted to direct the light at any angle to the work and from any desired position around the needle I and presser-foot 8. It may also be quickly raised or pushed back from operative position when necessary and readily restored to its original position when required.

The link 31 is preferably connected to the lampsocket 43 at a point close to the lamp 48 and its reflector 45 or, in other words, at a distance from the cord inlet end 43 of the lamp-socket preferably approximately equal to the length of the link 31. This provision facilitates the adjustment and positioning of the lamp relative to the sewing field and enables the angular position of the lamp to be adjusted with a minimum of bodily shift of the lamp.

While a lamp of the low-voltage automobile type is preferred, because of its sturdy filament, and non-screw base, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of a lamp of a particular type or voltage.

The foregoing specification is not to be read in limitation of the invention to the details of construction and relative proportions and arrangements of parts shown and described, as various modifications may obviously be made within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. In a sewing machine lighting attachment, a lamp-socket, a link, an arm, a ball joint connection between one end of said link and said lampsocket, a ball-joint connection between the other end of said link and said arm, and a swivelled clamp for mounting said arm on the frame of a sewing machine, said arm being rotatably and endwise slidably shiftable relative to said clamp.

2. A sewing machine lighting fixture comprising, a tubular arm, a supporting bracket, a clamp for gripping said arm and relative to which clamp said arm is slidably and rotatably shiftable, a universal joint connection between said clamp and supporting bracket, a spherically socketed clamp carried by said tubular arm, a lamp-socket, a spherically socketed clamp joined to said lampsocket, and a link having spherical ends gripped by said spherically socketed clamps.

3. A rod having spherical knobs at its opposite ends, a pair of double clamps each having a spherically socketed portion for gripping a respective one of said knobs and a cylindrically socketed portion, a lamp-socket gripped by the cylindrically socketed portion of one of said clamps, a tubular arm gripped by the cylindrically socketed portion of the other of said clamps, an electrical conductor cord passing through said tubular arm and externally of said rod to said lamp-socket, and means for supporting said tubular arm.

4. An angle-bracket having two angularly related apertured arms one of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a sewing machine, a clamp pivotally mounted on the other arm of said angle-bracket, a tubular arm rotatably and slidably adjustable relative to and gripped by said clamp, a lamp-socket, a clamp gripping said lampsocket, a universal friction joint connection between said last mentioned clamp and said tubular arm, and an electrical conductor cord passing through said arm and externally of said universal friction joint connection to said lamp-socket.

5. A sewing machine lighting attachment, having a supporting stud, an angle-bracket one arm of which is swivelled on said supporting stud, a clamp swivelled on the other arm of said anglebracket, an arm adjustably secured in said clamp with its longitudinal axis in non-intersecting relation with the axis of said supporting stud, a link swingably jointed to said arm, and a lampsocket swingably jointed to said link.

6. A sewing machine lighting device comprising a supporting stud, a relatively long arm universally jointed to said stud with its longitudinal axis spaced from the axis of said stud, a lampsocket, and a relatively short link swingably jointed at its opposite ends to said arm and lampsocket, respectively, the swingable joint of at least one end of said link being a universal swivel joint, the spacing between the axes of said supporting stud and relatively long arm being approximately equal to the length' of said relatively short link.

'7. A sewing machine lighting attachment comprising a cylindrical lamp-socket having a lampreceptacle at one end and a cord inlet at its opposite end, a link swingably jointed at one end to said lamp-socket adjacent the lamp-receptacle end of the latter, the length of said link being approximately equal to the distance from its point of connection with said socket to the cordreceving inlet of the latter, an arm longer than said link and swingably jointed at one end to the other end of said link, and means for securing said arm to the frame of a sewing machine.

REINHOLD E. VOM LEHN. 

